History Main / ShapeshifterGuiltTrip

** In the second movie, ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', while in an EnemyMine situation with the X-Men, she tries to seduce Logan as ComicBook/{{Jean|Grey}}, ComicBook/{{Rogue}}, and ComicBook/{{Storm}}. [[spoiler:He gets wise when he sees [[ScarsAreForever the scars he left on her belly]] from [[Film/XMen1 the first movie]].]]

* In ''TabletopGame/MonteCooksWorldOfDarkness'', [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]] can learn the ability to read a victim's most emotionally compromising memories and reflexively shapeshift into the people associated with them. With the demon's supernatural power, the assumed form lets them deliver an EmotionBomb or even [[CompellingVoice implant subliminal instructions]] in the victim.

* The T-1000 from ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' made use of this trope, shapeshifting into Sarah Connor in an attempt to lure and terminate her son John. [[spoiler:The attempt fails when the real Sarah appears behind the T-1000, and John trusts her characteristic approach ("Get out of the way, John") over the duplicate's attitude of slumped defeat. In the film's special edition, John notices the T-1000 has warped and misshapen feet, as its shapeshifting abilities were compromised by the machine's earlier exposure to liquid nitrogen.]]

Also covers {{clon|ingBlues}}es and other doppelgangers who [[ThisWasHisTrueForm suddenly reveal]] that they happen to resemble the hero's mom/girlfriend/dead little sister/[[DeathByNewberyMedal Dead Pet]]/whatever.

* A downplayed example appeared in everybody's favorite JustForFun/TropeOverdosed work, ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when [[SpoonyBard Elan]]'s EvilTwin, [[SdrawkcabName Nale]], faces off against [[TheLeader Roy]]. If he was hoping that Roy would be reluctant to attack someone who looks identical to one of his party-members, he was [[BerserkButton DEAD WRONG]].

* The monster in ''Film/{{Phantoms}}'' turns itself into a little boy who looks like the kid Creator/BenAffleck's character accidentally killed in his former life in the FBI.

* In ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', the villain Shang Tsung tries to pull this gambit with Liu Kang by assuming the form of his dead brother Chan, whom Shang Tsung had killed at the start of the movie. It doesn't work.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tangle_please_dont.jpg]]]]

There's also an increasingly common [[WrongGenreSavvy subversion]]: because of personal issues between the hero and the character the shape shifter takes the form of, the hero actually becomes ''more'' willing to attack. Also, all the shape shifter may do is succeed in pushing the RelativeButton and making things ''even worse'' for the shifter.

* The T-1000 from ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' made use of this trope, shapeshifting into Sarah Connor in an attempt to lure and terminate her son John. [[spoiler:The attempt fails when the real Sarah appears behind the T-1000, and John trusts her characteristic approach ("Get out of the way, John") over the duplicate's attitude of slumped defeat. The film's special edition, disappointingly, replaces this subtle indicator with an obvious shapeshifting flaw (warped and misshapen feet).]]

* In the finale of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' Volume 7, Team JNPR faces off against Neo, a MasterOfIllusion who at one point uses her powers to disguise herself as Nora in order to steal the Relic of Knowledge off Oscar when he lets his guard down. As she escapes, Ren tries to strike her down, only for Neo to switch her TechnicolorEyes to Nora's light blue and flash Ren a look of fear. Ren and Nora are close ChildhoodFriends [[spoiler: who also received a RelationshipUpgrade a few episodes before this,]] so it's not surprising when Ren freezes up with a horrified expression, giving Neo enough time to take him down and easily retreat. While it's clear it's only a CriticalHesitationBlunder on Ren's part, apparently the mere notion of hurting Nora is enough to cause him to cry.

* ''{{Webcomic/Nodwick}}'': An evil cleric creates Masques, undead monsters that appear as a person BackFromTheDead to whoever sees them, allowing them to approach their target unhindered. It would have worked, except one of the victims was a dragon, who have... very ''territorial'' instincts where it comes to their parents. [[http://comic.nodwick.com/?comic=2012-10-03 It therefore torched the dead]], breaking the spell.

* Mocked in Creator/{{Seanbaby}}'s [[http://www.seanbaby.com/stupcom/superquiz.htm Super Quiz]].

* ''WebVideo/SuperPowerBeatDown'': In a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwP2vnQCoho battle between Darth Vader and Gandalf]], Gandalf takes on Anakin Skywalker's form to briefly shock Vader.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'', Face-Changer [[SmugSnake Han]] finds himself backed into a corner by Lucinda, and attempts this trope multiple times to save himself. He shifts into Knull (their TokenGoodTeammate), Miss Tabitha (Lucinda's former mentor), and Corveau (the man who broke her heart, causing her StartOfDarkness). [[spoiler:It doesn't take, and she [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice runs him through]]. At her behest, he shows her ([[TheUnreveal but not the reader]]) his [[DyingAsYourself true form]] before their mutual DisneyVillainDeath.]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'': Zank the Beheader reads Akame's mind and uses an illusion to make himself look like the person she loves the most, her sister Kurome. To his shock, Akame doesn't hesitate to strike him down.
* ''Anime/{{Amatsuki}}'': The Yakou uses the bodies of Kurotobi's former teachers to stop him, Ainezu, and Kanzo from attacking.
* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'':
** Shirogane pulls a more benign example on Suzu: He shapeshifts into her crush Matsuri’s male form to beg for more food. She fully knows it’s an illusion, but finds it too frustrating to endure.
--->'''Shiromatsu''': Please, Suzu? I need... your dango...\\
'''Suzu (thinking)''': ''([[ArousedByTheirVoice trembling]])'' Don’t whisper in my ear!
** A corrupted {{baku}} attacks Suzu in her dreams with a copy of Matsuri, playing on her fears that Matsuri would see her as a dangerous ayakashi. This backfires horribly because while Suzu doesn't want to ''fight'' a copy of Matsuri, she'd gladly do sexual things to it without the small restraint she shows to the real thing.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** The hollow Grand Fisher has a lure on his head. By reading his target's psyche, he can transform that lure into the person the target cares about the most. He impersonates Ichigo's dead mother early on in the series.
** [[spoiler:Later on, an Arrancar also impersonates Kaien Shiba, Rukia's mentor, to great effect. This particular one happened to be the 9th Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie.]] In both cases, the impersonator had eaten the impersonate-ee.
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'':
** [[NoNameGiven The girl in the dress]] can make people feel in their hearts that she is someone else, usually a loved one. Shiage Hamazura is unable to attack her when she makes him feel that she is Rikou Takitsubo, his girlfriend. The girl in the dress notes that some people will attack her ''harder'' if she tries this, because by perceiving her as a loved one, they believe they have been betrayed and become enraged. When faced against Accelerator, she retreats, reasoning that the AxCrazy psycho would react that way.
** This happens twice in the series' New Testament Vol 6:
*** Shizuri Mugino gets confronted by what seems to be Frenda Seivelun, who she had killed back when she was a bad guy and had been feeling guilty about ever since. "Frenda" orders her to atone for her sin by dying, then moves to attack her. At the last second, Mugino snaps out of it and fights back. Her hunch that it wasn't actually Frenda was right, it was a shapeshifting man who wanted to play on Mugino's guilt to weaken and then kill her.
*** Teitoku Kakine makes an army with his Dark Matter that looks, sounds, and acts like the Misaka Sisters and turns them on Accelerator. Accelerator, who had sworn to protect the Misaka Sisters and is eternally guilty about killing some back when he was a bad guy, falls into despair and almost lets them kill him. Mugino steps in and saves him. Drawing on her experience with the fake Frenda, she reminds Accelerator that they're just Kakine's puppets, not the actual Misaka Sisters, which restores his will to fight.
* ''Manga/DanceInTheVampireBund'': One of the assassins sent after Akira in vol 4 pulled this. [[spoiler:It worked perfectly when he took the form of Graham, a colleague whom Akira killed under as yet unknown circumstances, but then she(?) twisted the knife and tried to extract information by taking the form of Mina. Big. Mistake.]]
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Whenever Buu absorbs someone, he takes on their physical traits and mannerisms, which makes for an unnerving fight if the person fighting is a close friend or loved one.
* In ''Manga/DragonKnights'', Sinistora takes the form of the dead Crewger, sending Rath spiralling since [[spoiler:Rath is currently possessing Crewger's dead body]].
* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
** A variation of this is used by [[DishingOutDirt Monsieur Sol]] against [[BruiserWithASoftCenter Elfman]] in the anime. He uses his earth powers to create clones of Elfman's sister Lisanna, who all begin angrily accusing him of killing her.
** Much later during the Tartarus arc, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are going up against a demon named [[ManipulativeBastard Franmalth]] who can turn into creatures whose souls he's absorbed, be they human or otherwise. He turns into two of Lucy's Spirits to invoke this on Natsu, who can't bring himself to hurt the already [[DontMakeMeTakeMyBeltOff much-abused]] [[ShrinkingViolet Aries]] and gets sucker-punched for refusing to attack her. Luckily, Franmalth next tries to use [[BoisterousBruiser Taurus]], who is much more capable of taking such a hit.
--->'''Natsu:''' Now ''you'' I can hit!
* Envy of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' positively ''loves'' this.
** In a pivotal moment, [[NoBiologicalSex they]] use this to [[spoiler:kill Hughes by transforming into a replica of the wife he adores, which makes poor old Hughes freeze just long enough to get shot. It's really clinched by his facial expression: he ''knows'' it's not Gracia, but he still can't make himself attack "her"]]. And given Envy's regenerative powers, it wasn't really necessary either, it was just ForTheEvulz.
** In one encounter, Envy is about to be stabbed by [[spoiler: Ling Yao, so they alter their appearance to that of Lan Fan, who has just been driven away to get medical attention for a severe injury she attained while protecting Ling, causing him to freeze up and enable Gluttony to swallow him. ''Brotherhood'' takes this a step further than the manga, having Envy appear as Lan Fan in her current vulnerable state; bandaged and without her left arm, her mask gone revealing a hurt expression. Though admittedly, that was because in the anime adaptation he'd only seen Lan Fan unmasked as the anime cut out his earlier fight with her, so it was due to to this rather than due to any extra ruthlessness]].
** In Envy's fight against [[spoiler:Mustang]] near the end of the manga: [[spoiler:Mustang finally gets to confront Envy about who murdered Hughes. Envy responds by shape-shifting into Gracia Hughes, and laughing at how easy this made killing Hughes. Mustang is ''not'' amused. During the fight, they end up in some narrow corridors, and Envy takes the opportunity to appear in Hughes's form. It does make Mustang momentarily flinch, but unfortunately for Envy, the whole reason Mustang was after them was because they had murdered Hughes, and the reminder only served to piss him off even ''more''. It was a CurbStompBattle to begin with, and that stunt only made things ''worse'' for Envy]].
** Hilariously, Envy is something of a {{Hypocrite}} regarding their use of this trope, referring to it as a cheap trick and taunting opponents when they fall for it, but then turns around and tries to invoke WhatTheHellHero on the ones that ''don't''.
--->'''Envy''' [[spoiler:(to Mustang, while disguised as Hughes)]]: What's the matter with you?! You didn't even hesitate to incinerate your best friend!
** During his climactic fight with Ed at the end of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], Envy cycles through the forms of everyone who's been either hurt or killed as result of Ed's actions. He tries to psyche him out by turning into Dr. Marcoh, his mom/[[spoiler:Sloth]], Hughes, and Mustang (which only makes Ed attack him ''harder''). For the most part it only makes Ed angrier (pointing out he [[spoiler:killed Sloth when ''she'' tried it]]), and he even goads Envy into showing his original (human) form. [[spoiler:Let's just say it was one [[LongLostSibling family reunion]] Ed was ''not'' expecting, and the shock allows Envy to line up a fatal blow.]]
* Variation in ''Manga/GetterRobo Armageddon'', where an Invader (who can infect humans and [[TheVirus turn them into more Invaders]]) attempt to guilt-trip the Shin Getter team by coating itself in the reformed bodies of [[BodyHorror not-quite-dead]] victims. This successfully prevents the Shin Getter team from attacking it - but its not quite so useful defending against [[AxCrazy Ryoma and the Black Getter]], who simply do not give a fuck.
* In ''LightNovel/GonnaBeTheTwinTail'', Fox Guildy creates a mindless duplicate of Tail Red and uses it as a shield. The original cannot bear to attack it, but Tail Blue smashes it without hesitation. Fox Guildy is shocked and asks how she could attack her own friend. Annoyed, Tail Blue says she isn't stupid; Tail Red is standing over there and she ''saw'' Fox materialize the duplicate.
* In ''Manga/HeavensLostProperty'', Chaos shifts in and out of the forms of Nymph's friends while beating her up and berating her. Nymph objectively knows that the being before her is Chaos and not her friends, but it doesn't matter, she's too traumatized to fight back. When Ikaros tries to attack Chaos, she shifts into Tomoki, and Ikaros is fooled even though she saw her transform before her eyes and obeys Chaos until Astraea intervenes. Later, when Ikaros is about to throw Chaos into the sea, Chaos turns into Tomoki again and begs her to stop, but this time, Ikaros points out that Tomoki is an excellent swimmer and wouldn't be worried about the sea.
* In ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'', as a last ditch effort to save herself, Raynare takes on her human disguise Yuuma Amano. Issei cannot strike her in this form, so he walks away and leaves it to Rias, who kills her without hesitation.
* ''Anime/InuYashaTheMovieFireOnTheMysticIsland'': Inuyasha manages to get the better of [[CloningBlues the Kikyo clone]] during their fight, but can't bring himself to finish her off; the real Kikyo proceeds to show up and kill the clone herself before berating Inuyasha for letting himself be tricked by the fake.
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': Cameo uses his JerkassGenie Stand to manipulate Polnareff into this by reanimating his dead sister and Mohammed Avdol (who died defending him), blaming him for their deaths. [[spoiler:Luckily, the real and alive Avdol appears to save the day, and Polnareff wises up to take down the fake creation of his sister.]]
** ''Manga/SteelBallRun'': This is the basis of Axl Ro's Stand, Civil War. It conjures images of things people "sacrificed" (read: abandoned or destroyed) and feel guilty about, which merges with their body and kills them.
* ''Manga/NabariNoOu'': PlayedForLaughs in an omake where Tobari is unable to attack Fuuma when he takes Raimei and Miharu's forms. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments It fails when Fuuma takes Kouichi's form, though]].
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Mr. 2 Bon Clay uses this as a desperation attack against Sanji. However, Sanji beats him up anyway as he's impersonating Usopp. Bon Clay is about to give up till he carelessly switches to Nami, [[WouldntHitAGirl which paralyzes Sanji with lust]]. Bon Clay comments, "It can't really be that easy, can it?" He toggles his face-switching power on and off to cure his disbelief, and then uses the form of Nami against Sanji because Nami looks just too cute for him to hit. Sanji only turns the fight around when he realizes Bon Clay has to return to his original form while actually attacking.
** A less funny example happens during Wano when [[spoiler:Kanjuro uses his power to create a replica of Kozuki Oden and convince Kikunojo not to attack him. He's successful and stabs the young samurai. She expresses her regret to Kin'emon for not being able to stop him]].
* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', Essentia does this when it looks like she's otherwise beaten; her sudden transformation into X surprises his Kangaskhan long enough for her to land a good hit on it before trying to run off.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic.'' The villain [[OneBadMother Aum Madaura]] can brainwash people into seeing her as their mother; [[AntiHero Hakuryuu]] falls under her spell and fights his friends for her. We get {{Flashback}}s as this is going on about how his evil [[TangledFamilyTree uncle/stepfather]] killed Hakuryuu's father and brothers and corrupted his mother afterward. Unfortunately for Aum Madaura, Hakuryuu's memory eventually reaches the point where he remembers that [[EvilMatriarch it's his mother who was actually]] EvilAllAlong, and he [[OffWithHisHead decapitates her]].
* In ''Manga/ProjectARMS'', one of the cyborgs that Hayato fights tries to trick him by impersonating Ryo. In this case, it was done to trick Hayato and not guilt him. After Hayato figures out the truth and impales him, the cyborg takes the form of Hayato's dead mother before dying.
* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', when the Cat Demon possesses [[spoiler:Genma]], thinking that Ranma wouldn't attack [[spoiler:him]]. Ranma's response: "IT'S EXORCISM TIME!" To explain further, it really didn't help that [[spoiler:Genma forced Ramna to fight [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes a giant cat]] since, no matter how weak a demon it was, Ranma is utterly ''terrified'' of cats. Right before booting his son towards said terror, Genma says that it's a martial artist's job to defeat demons, no matter what. Ranma repeats that right before beating up his old man]].
* In ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', Lyumnades Kaza did this thrice on-screen (plus a couple off-screen times). First in a battle against Cygnus Hyoga, taking the form of Aquarius. Then against Pegasus. Then in battle against Shun by transforming into his brother; it didn't work at first. He did it again when Shun was getting the upper hand, and it made Shun doubt enough for Kaza to beat him. Finally he did it against Shun's brother Ikki by transforming into Shun. But as Ikki was a AntiHero, it didn't work.
** Better yet, Ikki beats Kaza by transforming into ''him'', and Kaza whines that he's unable to hit his own image. This shows how cowardly he is, because this wouldn't have worked on any of the heroes.
** It's implied it could have worked had Kaza transformed into Esmeralda, Ikki's long lost love.
* [[BigBad Dougan]] in the ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}} Requiem'' movie absolutely adores doing this; so much so that it becomes pretty much the premise of the entire movie. For Sanzo he changes into his mentor Koumyou as well as his teammates Sha Gojyo, and Son Goku. For Goku he changes into Genjo Sanzo. For Sha Gojyo he changes into Hakkai and induces stabby death onto him. And for Cho Hakkai he shapeshifts into both his dear [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNlWH1DtjRM sister/lover Kanan]] as well as his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qp5jvDFQuw&feature=related friend Goku]].
** Various enemies try this in the ''Saiyuki'' manga as well. Usually to not much effect since the main characters can be positively gleeful about beating up doppelgangers of one another. On one memorable occasion they start beating up a doppelganger of Gojyo ''before'' realising it's not him (they did have reason to be angry with him at the time, though).
* The ''Manga/SorcererHunters'' manga had a variation: We eventually learn that [[BodySurf Body Surfing]] demon Almond Rassel had been trapped in the body of Apricot, the MissingMom of Carrot and Marron. In the final battle, Almond has to fight Onion Glace (Carrot's [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Crouching Moron Hidden]] RetiredBadass father), and plays his current body for all it's worth. Onion has no problem attacking [[DoppelgangerSpin Almond's clones]], but can't bring himself to attack the real body of his wife. His solution: grab on to Almond and [[TakingYouWithMe stab them both]] with his [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang boomeranging]] [[{{BFS}} Big Freaking Axe]], which he aimed at ''himself''.
* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'':
** In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Dartz projects the images (and voices) of Yugi's soul-stolen friends onto his Mirror Knight monsters to intimidate Yugi out of attacking them. Seto Kaiba doesn't care and attacks them without hesitation. In the original version, Seto says it's a willing sacrifice to save the world. In the dub, Seto thinks Dartz just reprogrammed the holograms to show their friends to throw them off their game. Regardless of the version, destroying the Mirror Knights merely frees their friends' souls instead of destroying them.
** In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', Trueman throws Austin O'Brien off his game during their duel by shapeshifting into Austin's father and using a replica of his father's deck (but with some of Trueman's own cards in it). Trueman also plays on Austin's guilt by bringing up an incident where his parents were trapped in a burning car and he chose to save his father first (even though his father was able to save his mother, Austin was filled with self-loathing that he didn't choose to save her). Austin still puts up a valiant fight, but he eventually panics and makes a mistake that causes him to lose.

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'': {{Subverted|Trope}} (and {{inverted|Trope}}?) in Creator/JossWhedon's run. Kitty is confronted with Piotr (the genuine article); not believing it's really Piotr, BackFromTheDead, she tells him that if he's a robot or a clone, she'll understand, but if he's a shapeshifter or illusionist, he's in for a new meaning of pain.
* Early on in ''ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative'', [[BadPowersGoodPeople Trauma]] had difficulty controlling his fear-based transformation powers, causing him to freak out Cloud 9 by transforming into a zombified version of MVP, who was killed while protecting Cloud 9 from an errant rifle blast. When Hank Pym tried to intervene, Trauma transformed into an extremely battered version of Janet Van Dyne, reminding Hank of his [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten domestic abuse incident]], which sent poor Hank scrambling for his anti-anxiety meds.
* An inadvertent version occurred when the ComicBook/{{Runaways}} visited the ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy''. Reptil tried to entertain the guests by showing off his dinosaur-transformation abilities. He made the mistake of turning into a deinonychus in front of Klara who, up to that point, still believed that she was responsible for Old Lace's apparent death, resulting in Karolina having to rush over and calm the poor girl down before her powers started kicking in.
* ''ComicBook/{{Elementals}}'' by Bill Willingham did an elaborate variant which [[TheReveal revealed]] that a {{ShapeShift|ing}}er that the Elementals had fought before had, over the course of a StoryArc gotten one of the team, Morningstar, to fall in love with him/her.
* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': The Red Lantern Rankorr used his power ring to make constructs resembling Abysmus' victims, paralyzing him with guilt and allowing Atrocitus to defeat him.
* ''Comicbook/{{Runaways}}'': Xavin shifts into the late wife of a [[BalefulPolymorph man-turned-monster]] to talk him down from his destructive rampage.
* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', Loki attempts to pull this on the second Corinthian, cycling through a series of forms (starting with Dream, followed by a dragon, the Corinthian himself[[labelnote:*]]Corinthian's reaction: "Oh, please. Credit me with at least the wit to know which one of us I am."[[/labelnote]], the toddler who the Corinthian is supposed to be rescuing, a flame, and finally his true form) trying to find one the Corinthian ''won't'' strangle. The Corinthian, needless to say, is not impressed.
* During ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', several Skrulls shapeshift into corpses and claim to be victims of [[ComicBook/CivilWar the Stamford Incident]]. Although it works on Penance at first, [[{{Wangst}} he remembers the faces of everyone who really perished]] and attacks.
* During an issue of ''[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Sonic Universe]]'', Amy is facing off against the wizard Naugus when he suddenly takes the form of Sonic, her crush. She immediately mocks him for trying that trick, decides that he's too pathetic for her to bother, and lets Knuckles and Shadow -- [[TheRival neither of whom would be very torn up over having to beat up Sonic]] -- finish him off.
* ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} faced a psychic, sentient dinosaur called the Empathosaur in her [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 '00s series]]. It probes her mind and makes his head look like her father. Supergirl is completely unimpressed, commenting that a man's head sticking out of a dinosaur's body isn't going to fool anybody.
* When the ComicBook/TeenTitans and the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica collided, the Titan Mirage went up against the ComicBook/MartianManhunter by posing as his dead wife.
* A rare heroic example comes from ''ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm''. When team was fighting Lord Entropy, an impossibly powerful madman who wanted revenge against Lord Emp for killing his wife, Voodo used her illusion to look like her. Entropy was so confused that Emp had enough time to prepare to wipe the floor with him.

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* In ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'', the party encounters an undead monstrosity that uses magic to make whoever is looking at it see a dead mentor or parental figure they would trust implicitly (Nodwick sees his former guildmaster, Arthax sees the man who trained him to be a wizard, Piffany sees the head priest who raised her, and Rowan sees her adventurer father). All of them can only stare dead-eyed at it and mumble "I thought you were dead". Fortunately, while the magic also affected [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Orville]], his species of dragon instinctively try to [[SelfMadeOrphan fight and kill their own parents for dominance]].

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In the Thor fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016552/chapters/57779809 The Beginning of Infinity]]'', Thor thinks Hela (of whose identity he is unaware of at the time) is using this to manipulate him. She looks very like Loki, who has been killed moments ago trying to undo Odin's curse on Thor and promises to save Loki if Thor agrees to a DealWithTheDevil with her. Subverted in that while she is manipulating him, the form is just her own - Odin had his adopted son's form resemble his lost daughter's for sentimental reasons.
* In the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' fanfic, ''A Match made in Hell'', the BigBad tried this separately on Sora, Roxas, and Pete, transforming into everyone they knew, including Organization XIII.
* ''Webcomic/OrangeLemonsSanninSwap'': [[EnemyWithin Dark!Naruto]] employs one against Naruto, starting by taking on Gaara's form while asking him [[CategoryTraitor why he called Gaara worthless]] [[ArmorPiercingQuestion after fighting so hard to avenge him''. Throughout the entire fight, he continously takes the form of various important figures in Naruto's life while [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dismantling all of his self-justifications]] for running away from Konoha.
* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'':
** [[spoiler:When Twilight [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind travels into Trixie's mind]] in order to undo her discording, [[EnemyWithin Loneliness]] creates an illusion of a mental hospital and takes the form of a doctor, and tries to convince Twilight that she killed Trixie and has been institutionalized. Fortunately, Twilight notices the [[AGlitchInTheMatrix mistakes in the illusion]] and breaks free.]]
** During the Finale Arc, it is revealed that during [[BadFuture Dark World]], [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash almost managed to break the GroundhogDayLoop on her own by beating Nightmare Paradox into submission. Before she could finish her off, Paradox turned into Twilight Sparkle, which caused Rainbow to hesitate long enough for Paradox to drive a sword through her chest. Rainbow was incapacitated and cursed herself for falling for such a simple trick]].
** In an alternate timeline where Queen Chrysalis conquered Equestria, it is mentioned that she managed to defeat King Sombra by turning into Radiant Hope, the only person he ever loved, then striking him down when he hesitated. She also tried it on Zecora by turning into Fluttershy, but it didn't work.
* In the ''[[Fanfic/PonyPOVSeriesChaosVerse Chaos Verse]]'' (an official spin-off of the ''POV Series''), the BigBad [[spoiler: Nightmare Phobia]] infiltrates Fluttershy's dreams and takes the form of her friends to try and [[DrivenToSuicide drive her to suicide]]. [[spoiler: It almost works, but thankfully, Fluttercruel is able to intervene and save her.]]
* In ''FanFic/GettingBackOnYourHooves'': [[BigBad Checker]] does this to most of the Mane Six during the FinalBattle, taking the form of their loved ones and giving them each a [[BreakThemByTalking Breaking Lecture]] based around their personal faults and saying those faults have in some way harmed said loved ones. Special mention goes to Rainbow Dash's, which involves her how she handled Discord's SadisticChoice, something she feels genuine guilt for.
* Used ''[[{{Squick}} very weirdly]]'' in [[http://waitingforthet.tumblr.com/post/85115287757/well-that-happened-i-dont-know-if-this-is#note-container this]] ''Comicbook/XMen'' fan-comic.
-->'''Logan:''' I, uh, don't want to fight you anymore. Or look at you. Ever again.
* ''Fanfic/UniverseFalls'': In "Into the Bunker", Experiment 210 shape-shifts into Rose Quartz in order to break Amethyst's spirit and make her drop her guard.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13311781/1/HV-S02-Quests-for-the-Golden-Fleece HV-S02: Quests for the Golden Fleece]]'': When Atalanta, Medea, and Medusa battle the Calyadonian Boar, the demon Ars Theurgia attempts the throw Atalanta off by making the boar shift into her father, King Iasus. Since Atalanta ''hates'' her father for abandoning her to die as an infant and then trying to suck up to her after she became a famous hero, this backfires and she attacks harder.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Inverted in ''Film/{{Dreamscape}}''. Assassin Tommy Ray murdered his father as a teenager. While fighting him in a dream, the heroic Alex distracts him by changing his appearance to that of the father and asking Tommy Ray why he killed him.
* In ''Film/TheExorcist'', the demon takes on the voice of Father Karras' recently deceased elderly mother.
* In ''Film/EventHorizon'', the title ship has taken over Dr. Weir. In an effort to get to Captain Miller, Weir takes the form of a flaming Edward Corrick, the man in Miller's back story whom he had to [[NoOneGetsLeftBehind leave behind]] in [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]]. Miller doesn't buy the attempt to guilt-trip him for a minute though: "No. You're not Edward Corrick. I watched him die."
* In ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters'', when Hansel is beating up the evil witch Muriel, she takes on her beautiful form (Creator/FamkeJanssen) and begs for mercy. Hansel says, "Nice try," and continues the attack.
* In ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', the villain Shang Tsung tries to pull this gambit with Liu Kang by assuming the form of his dead brother Chan, whom Shang Tsung had killed at the start of the movie. It doesn't work.
* The monster in ''Film/{{Phantoms}}'' turns itself into a little boy who looks like the kid Creator/BenAffleck's character accidentally killed in his former life in the FBI.
* In ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'', a Ditto transforms into Tim's crush Lucy while he's fighting it. Tim starts saying that he has no problem hitting it regardless, but it takes the opportunity to knock him off his feet [[TalkingIsAFreeAction while he's talking]].
* In the ''[[Film/TheSpiderwickChronicles Spiderwick]]'' books and TheFilmOfTheBook, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Mulgarath]] attempts to do this to the main character by transforming into his dad. Much like in the FMA example, the main character has ParentalIssues and this ends up being a bad choice]].
* The T-1000 from ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' made use of this trope, shapeshifting into Sarah Connor in an attempt to lure and terminate her son John. [[spoiler:The attempt fails when the real Sarah appears behind the T-1000, and John trusts her characteristic approach ("Get out of the way, John") over the duplicate's attitude of slumped defeat. The film's special edition, disappointingly, replaces this subtle indicator with an obvious shapeshifting flaw (warped and misshapen feet).]]
* In ''Film/WrathOfTheTitans'', Perseus fights and defeats a minotaur. As he's about to finish it off, the minotaur suddenly starts talking in his son's voice, begging his "father" not to hurt him. Perseus kills it anyway.
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
** ComicBook/{{Mystique}} tries this on her captors in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''. She transforms into the President and threatens to have them all court martialed if they do not release her, and then a little girl who begs and cries to be let out. She finally turns mockingly back into herself when one of the guards threatens to empty a can of pepper spray in her face if she doesn't knock it off.
** In the second movie, ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', while in an EnemyMine situation with the X-Men, she tries to seduce Logan as ComicBook/{{Jean|Grey}}, ComicBook/{{Rogue}}, and ComicBook/{{Storm}}. [[spoiler:He gets wise when he sees [[ScarsAreForever the scars he left on her belly]] from [[Film/XMen1 the first movie]].]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* OlderThanPrint: In ''Literature/ArabianNights'', one story involves a hero being told that he must kill a demon that is taking the shape of his mother. He refuses, is sent back where he started, and has to undertake all the other challenges of the quest again, as well as kill the copy of his mother.
* In a non-villainous example, Bartimaeus of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' regularly appears in the form of Kitty Jones in the beginning of ''Ptolemy's Gate'', purely because he knows how much guilt his master still feels over [[spoiler:Kitty's apparent death]] in the previous book. He sometimes exaggerates the curves, though.
* In Juliet Marillier's ''Literature/ChildOfTheProphesy'', the EvilMatriarch Oonagh does this during the middle of the climactic showdown: [[spoiler:while facing off her son and granddaughter, she takes on the appearance of the son's dead wife. Made worse by the fact that she killed the wife in the first place. This throws her son off-balance long enough that she would have killed him, had his half-brother not intervened]].
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** A spell in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' gives [[spoiler:Ron Weasley]] a double-dosage of this trope - the ''two'' people closest and dearest to the victim manifest and give a [[BreakThemByTalking Breaking Speech]] in the form of a counterpoint argument.
** A Boggart does this to Mrs. Weasley in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix The Order of the Phoenix]]'', tormenting her by transforming into an image of her children, dead. The "Guilt" part is amplified when the reader knows that Mrs. Weasley's two brothers, Fabian and Gideon, died in the previous war against Voldemort, so Molly has all the more reason to dread losing her family.
* A very neat example takes place in Creator/RogerZelazny's ''Literature/LordOfLight'' during, well, calling it fight would charitable, between Yama, the God of Death and Mara, the God of Trickery. The first of many SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for Yama.
* ''Literature/MagicTime'': There's a whole swarm of these towards the end of the final book, divided into groups targeting each main character. (For instance, a doctor who survived Chernobyl fights animated radiation corpses. What, the title made you think it was a kids' book?)
* In the novel ''[[Literature/MythAdventures Myth-Taken Identity]]'', a group of shape shifters are running around disguised as the protagonist of the series, and their chief uses it against the protagonist's mentor in the climactic fight.
* ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'': In ''Perelandra'', Ransom is fighting the Un-man (the demon-possessed undead corpse of Weston, the previous book's villain) when it suddenly reverts to Weston's actual personality and begs for mercy. Ransom ignores it, and the narration points out that Weston's actual soul had most likely been completely subsumed long before.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' plays this one straight in ''Sacrifice''. [[spoiler: Jacen disguises himself as Ben when dueling Mara.]]
* This is one of the main tactics of Sacred Eclipse in ''LightNovel/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle''. Against Celis, it becomes her mentor Wade; against Greifer, it becomes his princess Milmiette (which doesn't work, Greifer sarcastically says that the real Milmiette already knows he has a rude personality); against Lisha, it becomes her father Count Atismata; against Lux, it becomes Lisha (this does cause him to flinch, due to the fake Lisha saying something unexpected[[note]]she begs Lux not to kill her again[[/note]]; against Yoruka (more accurately, Lux being controlled by Yoruka) it becomes her younger brother.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** Literature/CiaphasCain ('''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!''') experiences this in one book: while on a raid on a Slaaneshi cult, he's quite surprised to see Amberley Veil (his boss with benefits), and can't bring himself to shoot her. In fact, hearing the soldier next to him comment in the same love-struck tones though with a different name, he is consumed by jealousy and about to shoot him. Fortunately Jurgen moves closer and dispels the effect, revealing her as the old brothel owner. "Impersonating an Inquisitor is a capital crime" indeed.
** In ''[[Literature/ThousandSons Ahriman: Exile]]'', when Ahriman summons a daemon in order to interrogate it about Amon’s plans, the daemon tries to break his concentration (and thus escape from its bindings) by taking on the form of his dead brother Ohrmuzd. Ahriman, being no stranger to the ways of daemons, is unfazed.
* A rare hero-to-hero (and subverted) example appears in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' #41, where Jake meets Elfangor and CallsTheOldManOut for putting the fate of Earth on their shoulders. It turns out to be Tobias in an aged-up Ax morph. [[spoiler:Of course, the whole book is revealed to be AllJustADream at the end.]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
%%* Notably averted on ''Series/{{Alias}}''. The heroes want to kill her ''extra''.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'':
** Subverted in an episode, when the MonsterOfTheWeek appears as [[spoiler:Wesley's]] distant father [[spoiler:[[KilledMidSentence and is unceremoniously shot]]]]. Notably this only happens after he threatens [[spoiler:Wesley's]] love interest, and since [[spoiler:Wesley]] did ''think'' it was his real father at the time he spends the next episode absent, apparently dealing with the revelation that he would have been willing to kill his own father. Made more humorous with all the other characters saying how they killed ''their'' fathers or mothers and haven't looked back since.
** Although not done intentionally, the demon Illyria [[spoiler: who has "hollowed out" and taken over the body of Fred]] notes that [[BloodKnight Spike]] has no problem punching her in the face.
--->'''Illyria''': This shell... you had affection for it.\\
'''Spike''': Tons. Loved the bird.\\
'''Illyria''': Yet you strike at her form without sentiment.\\
'''Spike''': You ain't her. I can see it. ''Lord'' knows I can smell it. And I got no problem hitting it.
* ''Series/AshVsEvilDead'': During their FinalBattle, season 2 BigBad [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Baal]] does this to Ash by taking on the forms of his dead loved ones -- his best friend Chet, sister Cheryl, and father Brock.
* On ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer,'' this was [[BigBad The First]]'s main tactic. Creepily, its [[TheDragon Dragon]] [[SinisterMinister Caleb]] [[InvertedTrope inverted]] this---the First would turn into [[StrawMisogynist girls]] [[SerialKiller he had murdered]] so he could reenact killing them ''again.'' The First even tells Caleb that most people dislike seeing people they've killed and that he is a rare exception. Caleb really likes [[ReminiscingAboutYourVictims Reminiscing About His Victims]].
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The TARDIS' emergency hologram voice interface [[ObliviousGuiltSlinging inadvertently]] does this to the Doctor in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler "Let's Kill Hitler"]], turning into each of the Tenth Doctor's companions in turn:
-->''[TARDIS turns into the Eleventh Doctor]''\\
'''The Doctor:''' Oh no no no no, give me someone I ''like''.\\
''[TARDIS turns into Rose]''\\
'''The Doctor:''' Thanks! Give me guilt.\\
''[TARDIS turns into Martha]''\\
'''The Doctor:''' Also guilt.\\
''[TARDIS turns into Donna]''\\
'''The Doctor:''' More guilt.
%%** Also done in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E5PlanetOfFire Planet of Fire]]". %%Please add context and place in the correct chronological order before uncommenting. %%
* In ''Doctor Who'' spinoff ''Series/{{Class}}'', the tentacled monster called the Lankin creates convincing copies of people's dead relatives and goads them to touch them so it can [[spoiler: eat their souls]].
* On ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Candace (who can actually cast illusions, but used it in a way equivalent to shapeshifting) as Simone to Isaac.
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
** The Worm creatures in ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'' occasionally do this by showing the image of the person they'd replaced. One early episode has a Worm guilt-tripping Kagami with the form of [[spoiler:his brother]], noting that since the Worm has all the memories of his victim, if the Worm dies, the victim will be killed "a second time".
** It happens again in ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'''s movie, ''[[TheMovie Begins Night]]'', in which [[spoiler: a dopant poses as Shotaro's mentor and in turn, Kamen Rider Skull. When it is revealed that it's the Dummy Dopant doing the imitating, this pisses off Shotaro.]]
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': The Smoke Monster [[spoiler:aka The Man in Black]] did this a lot to the main characters, though he was usually impersonating their beloved ones: [[spoiler:he appears to Jack as his late father, to Eko as his late brother, to Ben as his late daughter, to Richard as his late wife...]] you get the idea.
* An episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'' features a genetic mutant that uses its shapeshifting ability to drive its victims to extremes of some emotion, which it then feeds on/sucks out. So at one point Kryton becomes the victim of a ''literal'' Shapeshifter Guilt Trip.
* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E1TheManTrap The Man Trap]]" features an alien {{ShapeShift|ing}}er who impersonates [=McCoy's=] old flame, causing him to hesitate to shoot it.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
** The Season 1 episode "Skin" does this when Sam fights a shapeshifter disguised as Dean. Sam can't kill him, so Dean does.
** Averted in Episode 5.05 "Fallen Idols" [[spoiler:in which a pagan god is about to take the form of John Winchester and gets killed before that happens]].
** It happens again in Season six. When the boys prove unwilling to listen to her, The Mother Of All takes on the form of none other than Mary Winchester. [[spoiler: Still doesn't stop the Winchesters from ganking her.]]
** In Season 15, episode 3, Castiel and the demon Belphegor, using the body of one of Castiel's fallen friends, [[ToHellAndBack venture into hell]] to draw the escaped souls back into it, only for Belphegor to reveal he was using them all along to become a god. As Castiel fights him, Belphegor's last trick is to pretend to be Castiel's dead friend, who sees right through it and angrily incinerates him.
* ''Series/YoungDracula'' has a variant in which [[spoiler: Elizabeta]] turns into everyone Vlad cares about who he's disappointed or failed. Rather than doing it to gain an advantage, though, she's already beaten him and is just [[EvilGloating throwing his failures in his face before she kills him.]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]
* [[Anime/{{Mnemosyne}} Apos]] creates a doppelganger of Bit during one of his battle with the [[Roleplay/WeAreOurAvatars Group]].

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* The special ability of Kyton devils in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. They appear like humans wrapped in chains, but during a fight they reveal their face, which imitates someone their attacker knows.
* In ''TabletopGame/MonteCooksWorldOfDarkness'', [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]] can learn the ability to read a victim's most emotionally compromising memories and reflexively shapeshift into the people associated with them. With the demon's supernatural power, the assumed form lets them deliver an EmotionBomb or even [[CompellingVoice implant subliminal instructions]] in the victim.

[[folder:Toys]]
* In ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', Makuta first appears to the Toa as a small Matoran. They know it must be some sort of trick, but they are still hesitant to attack him... until he goes OneWingedAngel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series features doppelgangers and other shapeshifters who like to impersonate other characters, but all of them shift into their normal forms when attacking, thus disqualifying some interesting scenes from quite exemplifying this trope.
** The closest to actually qualifying are the doppelgangers that attack you in the Candlekeep catacombs that appear in the form of familiar Candlekeep inhabitants and give lame, one-sentence excuses for attacking you. \\
The greater doppelgangers near the exit try to convince you that it's all been an illusion placed on you by [[BigBad Sarevok]] and you've actually been killing the people that the doppelgangers looked like, trying to make you feel guilty, but they stop pretending immediately if you choose to fight them.
*** ''VideoGame/ThroneOfBhaal'' also has a similar scene where some wraiths have a go at [[BreakThemByTalking breaking you by talking]] in the form of lost loved ones, but they too do it only ''before'' the battle is joined, not during it.
** In the backstory, the dwarf Durlag built his [[BonusDungeon fortress]] as a safe haven for all of his kin, but unfortunately, it got infested by doppelgangers. He had to fight his way out of the fortress through monsters bearing the faces of his family and companions, which caused him to go insane. He now saw enemies everywhere and [[BoobyTrap booby-trapped]] the whole place with more traps than you'll see again in the whole series.
* In the FinalBoss fight of ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil,'' the BigBad's shapeshifting {{Mooks}} mimic the forms of Jade's {{sidekick}}s. They accuse her in a CreepyMonotone of causing their suffering, and beg her to join the villain to take the pain away. Considering their [[LargeHam natural tendencies,]] this is especially unnerving. Worse, they do this right after the BigBad apparently absorbs them both, leaving you to wonder just how fake it is.
* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'': Lucifer takes the shape of Dante, along with his form massacring innocent people in his grand illusions, to break the will of Dante's wife's soul, Beatrice.
* In the FullMotionVideo game ''VideoGame/DraculaUnleashed'', Alexander, Helsing and Harker confront a friend turned vampire Juliet. They chase her back to her crypt where in a last ditch effort to save herself, changes into Harker and Alexander's wife and fiancee respectively. Harker sees through the guise but Alexander, apparently forgetting that that they're dealing with a supernatural force, nearly falls for it before Helsing stops him.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': [[spoiler:Queen Ferz, the shapeshifting High Priestress of the evil Order of [=ZugZwang=]]], poses as [[spoiler:the hero's missing mother]] to talk him into joining the Order.
* In ''VideoGame/FableIII'', after having to leave behind your mentor Walter in the deserts of Aurora, the demonic Crawler taunts you with illusions of Walter begging for help and being brutally killed by the Crawler's shadow monster minions.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'', the final totema attempts this in a cut scene. It changes from Ritz, to Doned, to Mewt (all characters with a close relation to the main character), and then finally to the main character himself, each one trying a different tactic to try to get him to [[spoiler: stay in the world and not destroy the final crystal]]. None of it works, though it does succeed in briefly mind fucking the main character.
* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarAscension'', Kratos starts strangling Tisiphone and then she transforms into Lysandra, his wife. He hesitates for a moment, then continues.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** You can attempt this twice in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', once against Igos Du Ikana with his knight captain's mask ([[spoiler:which fails completely]]), and once against the Gorman brothers with their brother's mask ([[spoiler:which upsets them so much they can't fight]]).
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', Midna briefly transforms into the likenesses of the recently kidnapped Colin and Ilia in order to remind Link that he has a personal motivation to fight back against Zant and the Twilight. Oddly, this is the ''only'' time she displays shapeshifting powers.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** You can briefly pull this off in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' thanks to LatexPerfection. Put on the Raikov mask and uniform when fighting his gay lover to distract him for a moment. "Ivan is that you?"
** Used a few times in a section of the first boss battle in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', with Laughing Octopus, who uses her [=OctoCamo=] and [=FaceCamo=] to disguise herself as Naomi, then as Metal Gear Mk. II, with Otacon's voice. When you approach it, it attacks you, with Otacon's voice (although obviously not him speaking) making fun of you. Of course, you can spot the flaws easily (she never changes out of her suit when in the face cameo and MK II is much bigger then its normal size. Plus Otacan doesn't flag you down with it in regular play.)
* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' [[spoiler:Gandrayda]] pulls one of these once you [[ShapeshifterSwanSong defeat]] [[spoiler:her]]. First, [[spoiler:she changes into Ghor, then into Rundas, then into Samus [[RuleOfSymbolism which leads to the image of a Samus nearly corrupted by the Phazon standing over a normal Samus laying on the ground dying]]. The whole thing takes less than a minute, and the only sound that comes out of her mouth is a scream, but the message to Samus is clear: "You couldn't save them from TheCorruption, you couldn't save me from it, and you're not going to be able to save yourself. YourDaysAreNumbered, Samus."]]
* In ''VideoGame/NEOTheWorldEndsWithYou'', on Week 3 Day 5, the Wicked Twisters have to take down Plague Noise that have taken the forms of those who were erased. After beating "[[spoiler:Motoi]]", Beat realizes that the next Noise will resemble [[spoiler:Kanon]], which would undoubtedly affect Fret, and right before he brings it up, Nagi [[ChangingTheUncomfortableSubject shuts him up]] and he realizes what's going on.
-->'''Beat''': You worried 'bout Fret? I mean, the next Noise to show up is prob'ly gonna be--\\
'''Nagi''': ''[cutting him off]'' ''Oh, wherefore must our destination be so far away!?''\\
'''Beat''': Huh? ...''Ohhh.'' Right, my legs is killin' me already, yo.
* Not quite an exact use, but referenced in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', when [[spoiler:the Shadow Queen takes over Peach's body]], Goombella tells you that no matter how much it looks like your friend, you can't think of it that way and just have to fight it.
* Completely averted in ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}''. If Alex is discovered by the military, while shape shifted, the military will not hesitate to fire on him -- even if you're in the guise of a respected commander, unarmed woman, or someone they wouldn't dare think about hurting otherwise. {{Hilari|tyEnsues}}ously, if you use the Patsy ability to accuse someone of being Alex, the poor sod gets gunned down with an equal lack of restraint.
* In ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', [[spoiler:a heavy trooper with an automatic shotgun "transforms" into Lugo, who was killed about an hour prior. Keep in mind nobody in this game has supernatural powers; the whole scene is Captain Walker's hallucination. He's guilt-tripping ''himself'']].
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'', AntiHero Kerrigan faces-off against the ShapeShifting [[spoiler:Narud/Duran]]. The first tactic [[spoiler:he]] uses is to shapeshift into Jim Raynor, which causes Kerrigan to hesitate for a quick moment, before having her BerserkButton pushed and beats up [[spoiler:Narud]] mercilessly. Near the end of the fight, [[spoiler:Narud]] shapeshifts into Kerrigan before she was infested, which causes her to [[HeroicBSOD hesitate]] long enough for [[spoiler:him]] to stab her.
* In ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'', the final boss tries to pull this, although only with voices from the various people that died (or are presumed dead) during the storyline, including Fox's father James. Which is the clincher, since Fox knows that "[[OutOfCharacterAlert my father would]] ''[[OutOfCharacterAlert never]]'' [[OutOfCharacterAlert tell me to give up!]]"
* The Holoprojection droid PROXY in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed'' uses it to his advantage several times. Going against Vader as Obi-Wan Kenobi or against Boba Fett as his father Jango does not guarantee him victory, but ''does'' confuse his opponent for a few precious seconds.
** In the Wii[=/=][=PS2=][=/=]PSP version of the first game, Darth Phobos briefly adopts the appearance of Juno Eclipse to lure Galen into letting his guard down at the start of the fight. After you defeat her, she tries it again to stop you from killing her. It doesn't work.
** In the beginning of the sequel, Darth Vader orders Starkiller to destroy a droid that looks like Juno Eclipse, but he can't. The game's novelization includes a scene where Starkiller is confronted by a Juno droid again, as well as droids of his friends and father, but this time he declares that dreams and memories have no power over him anymore and destroys them all. [[spoiler:[[EvilKnockoff The Dark Apprentice]] destroyed his Juno droid and declared that he felt ''nothing.'']]
* In ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'', Neclord appears to resurrect Viktor's {{Childhood Friend|s}}, Daisy, offering to trade her for the Star Dragon Sword. Viktor appears to be conflicted, but then says that he knows that resurrection is impossible, and decapitates the doppleganger.
* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'': when you enter the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, the first battle has [[BigBad Shaher]] attempt this on Alphonse and Eleanor, and who he takes the illusion of depends on the route you take. If you take Path A, he becomes [[spoiler:Rictor, Alphonse's commander who was possessed by Shaher and subsequently killed by Alphonse]]. If you take Path B, [[spoiler:he takes the form of Cybil, who felt she could no longer trust Alphonse and was later possessed by Shaher in a similar manner of Rictor in Path A]]. However, Alphonse doesn't buy it one bit, and simply lashes out at them and causes the illusion to break. Then again though, [[GenreBlindness Shaher did actually say he would take their form to their face]], but to be fair, even before he said this, Alphonse wasn't buying it.
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', [[spoiler:Sync the Tempest mocks the protagonists, asking how it feels to fight against someone who resembles their deceased friend Ion. Luke counters that while he may resemble their friend, he isn't him]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* In ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', when [[Franchise/StarWars Obi-Wan]] finds himself trapped in a genjutsu by [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Kakashi]], who should appear but Darth Vader himself, wreathed in shadows and with glowing red eyes.
* In the finale of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' Volume 7, Team JNPR faces off against Neo, a MasterOfIllusion who at one point uses her powers to disguise herself as Nora in order to steal the Relic of Knowledge off Oscar when he lets his guard down. As she escapes, Ren tries to strike her down, only for Neo to switch her TechnicolorEyes to Nora's light blue and flash Ren a look of fear. Ren and Nora are close ChildhoodFriends [[spoiler: who also received a RelationshipUpgrade a few episodes before this,]] so it's not surprising when Ren freezes up with a horrified expression, giving Neo enough time to take him down and easily retreat. While it's clear it's only a CriticalHesitationBlunder on Ren's part, apparently the mere notion of hurting Nora is enough to cause him to cry.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'', Face-Changer [[SmugSnake Han]] finds himself backed into a corner by Lucinda, and attempts this trope multiple times to save himself. He shifts into Knull (their TokenGoodTeammate), Miss Tabitha (Lucinda's former mentor), and Corveau (the man who broke her heart, causing her StartOfDarkness). [[spoiler:It doesn't take, and she [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice runs him through]]. At her behest, he shows her ([[TheUnreveal but not the reader]]) his [[DyingAsYourself true form]] before their mutual DisneyVillainDeath.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', [[EldritchAbomination Khaless]] does this to Lulianne [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1286 using the face of her niece Sael]], who Khaless may have killed and/or absorbed.
* ''{{Webcomic/Nodwick}}'': An evil cleric creates Masques, undead monsters that appear as a person BackFromTheDead to whoever sees them, allowing them to approach their target unhindered. It would have worked, except one of the victims was a dragon, who have... very ''territorial'' instincts where it comes to their parents. [[http://comic.nodwick.com/?comic=2012-10-03 It therefore torched the dead]], breaking the spell.
* A downplayed example appeared in everybody's favorite JustForFun/TropeOverdosed work, ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when [[SpoonyBard Elan]]'s EvilTwin, [[SdrawkcabName Nale]], faces off against [[TheLeader Roy]]. If he was hoping that Roy would be reluctant to attack someone who looks identical to one of his party-members, he was [[BerserkButton DEAD WRONG]].
-->'''Roy''': I've been suppressing the urge to beat the crap out of someone who looks EXACTLY like you for a long, long time.
* In ''WebComic/WildeLife,'' [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Clifford]] first meets Raven when the latter looks like a little kid, though he quickly learns that Raven knows {{humanshifting}} and likely took that form to seem more innocent than he really is. At one point Cliff is about to attack Raven when he's in his teenage form, only for him to quickly switch back to being a kid. Clifford pulls back on instinct and, combined with his general stress and drunkenness at the time, winds up throwing up.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Played with in the first episode of ''Gary and his demons'': in the DramaticChaseOpening Gary maims an orphan he thinks is a shapeshifting demon in disguise, though in Gary's defense, he makes a very good argument why and manages to counter all the arguments the orphan makes about not being a demon. Later, the same demon plays it straight by disguising itself as the now crippled orphan.
* Mocked in Creator/{{Seanbaby}}'s [[http://www.seanbaby.com/stupcom/superquiz.htm Super Quiz]].
-->''Question 13: Shape Changers You're in a fight against a group of super villains, and one of them is a shape-changer. Suddenly, your dead girlfriend shows up in her underwear. Do you: A: Ignore her. It's possible that your girlfriend climbed out of her grave, changed into her panties, and got on a plane to see you during a fight, but it's probably the shape-changer, genius.''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* ''WebVideo/SuperPowerBeatDown'': In a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwP2vnQCoho battle between Darth Vader and Gandalf]], Gandalf takes on Anakin Skywalker's form to briefly shock Vader.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'': One of Mogul the Sorcerer's illusions is that of Zachary's wife. Mogul learns the hard way that this is Zach's fastest-acting BerserkButton. The Queen also pulls this trick on Zach during the DreamSequence in "Psychocrypt."
* In the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' episode "Permanent Retirement", Ben is beating the tar out of one of the evil aliens (already posing as Grandpa Max) as Wildmutt when it shapeshifts to close up its revealing wounds and says in Max's voice, "Now, you wouldn't want to hurt old Grandpa Max, would ya?" Ben-as-Wildmutt hesitates, allowing the alien to start wallopping him and forcing Gwen to have to remind him of reality.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': In "The New Olympians," Proteus irritates the prison warden Taurus by taking the form of his father (whom Proteus murdered) and begging to be released from jail.
* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex''. While Rex fights Jack Scarecrow, the latter uses his {{shapeshifting}} abilities to turn into various friends/comrades of Rex. Rex is more than willing to punch (and possibly kill) him while taking the forms of people he loves, but fighting in blind rage quickly [[PsychoactivePowers drains his powers]].
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has a variant in the episode "Into the Bunker"--after being shoved in a CryoPrison, the {{Shapeshifting}} monster tells [[SeekerArchetype Dipper]] that he will never find the Author, and that if he keeps trying, "''this'' will be the last form you'll ever take." It then transforms into a copy of Dipper, screaming in horror, as the freezing takes effect.
-->'''[[BigFun Soos]]:''' [[MoodWhiplash Good luck sleeping tonight]]!
* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': In "L.O.D.R.S.V.P.", Clayface tries to make Aquaman stand down by turning into Superman. With his poor acting skills (he claims to be from "Kryptalon", among his general character inaccuracies) and the fact he transformed right in front of him, Aquaman is not fooled for a second and chops his head off (luckily Clayface can survive that).
* Used by [[FusionDance Brainithor]]'s drones in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited''. First he turns them into the Justice Lords, an alternate version of the League who [[KnightTemplar turned evil]] after their Franchise/{{Superman}} killed ComicBook/LexLuthor. It has different reactions on each member.
** When the Superman copy is about to be destroyed by Superman, it turns into Lex and says "ThisIsThePartWhere you kill me, right?" causing Superman to hesitate long enough for it to (almost) turn the tables.
** Franchise/TheFlash and Franchise/{{Batman}} aren't affected: the Flash drone's attempt to HannibalLecture him fails miserably, and Batman defeats his double before it could open its mouth. Flash's is particularly amusing, as him being aware of his [[TheHeart heart of the team]] status and playing it up is what allows him to ignore his double's words.
** Franchise/GreenLantern and Hawkgirl are at first hounded by their doubles, but, having gone through a nasty break-up, decide to switch partners and take the opportunity to "let out some steam".
** Franchise/WonderWoman's copy doesn't even speak, but she and Superman take a cue from the ex-couple and trade sparring partners, ending with them smashing their doubles into each other.
** [[FightUnscene And we never got to know how]] ([[WildMassGuessing or if]]) [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome Martian]] [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter Manhunter]] actually beat his own clone during his ShapeshifterShowdown.
* ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': In "Fear Factory", the MonsterOfTheWeek tries to save itself by turning into Ma Kent, but Superman roars, "You are not my mother!" and smashes it.
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In [[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E6TheRicksMustBeCrazy "The Ricks Must Be Crazy"]], the A.I. in Rick's car creates an illusion of the SWAT officer's dead son to give him a HeroicBSOD and lose the will to attack.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'': In [[Recap/TheSecretShowS1E23FlickTheSwitch "Flick the Switch"]], the Impostors' leader Red Eye assumes the form of Victor's mother in order to lure him back into their lair and trap him and Anita.
* Used to great effect in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'''s season 4 finale. Double Trouble gives Catra a speech about how she [[RejectionProjection constantly pushes people away and blames them for it]], while shifting between the forms of Adora, Shadow Weaver, Hordak, and Scorpia (all people who had messy relationships with Catra).
* Non-combat example from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. Amethyst and Greg get sucked into rewatching their old favorite TV sitcom for almost two straight days, and eventually Greg realizes that he's missed watching the New Year's fireworks with his son Steven. Amethyst urges him to stay, even shape-shifting into Steven in order to convince him. Greg doesn't take kindly to it, and Amethyst responds by mockingly shape-shifting into him; when ''that'' fails, she angrily shape-shifts into Greg's ''dead lover'' Rose Quartz while blaming him for taking Rose away from her, even as Greg hides in a corner and begs her to stop.
* ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'': Skeleton King turns into the Alchemist and uses it against Nova.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'', the main trio fights a chameleon monster that tries to do this, notably impersonating Octus' girlfriend Kimmy. Octus is fortunately, reminded that it's not really her (especially as the mutraddi's eyes are pretty much its own).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'', the Demon Shredder fulfills this when he uses his human face, the same as Karai's adoptive father's one, to take her off-guard at the very moment when she seemed to have an advantage, though he later states that he was [[JustToyingWithThem just playing with her]] the whole time.
* During "Endgame" of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', Shockwave tries this on Bulkhead and Bumblebee, asking if they're really willing to take out their old friend Longarm by changing to his form. (In this case, he's only sort of playing head games, as Longarm and Shockwave were always the same person. [[spoiler:The Autobots feign sympathy for a minute before smacking him up.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/XMen'':
** An inversion appears during a StoryArc of the animated series; a BrainwashedAndCrazy Morph shapeshifts into ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s most hated foes (including ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}} and Omega Red), trying to take advantage of Wolvie's fractured and tormented memories of said foes to drive him to insanity. Unfortunately for him, Wolvie's got plenty of experience with repressing those memories, and he only escapes by taking advantage of the one memory Wolvie ''can't'' repress: being forced to leave Morph to die after a semi-botched mission. Prior to that, he shapeshifted into Wolverine's unrequited love interest Jean, and mocked him about how she'll never love him.
** Similarly, Mystique shapeshifts into [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Ms. Marvel]] to dredge up a bad memory in Rogue of her past to try and guilt her into abandoning the X-Men and hook back up with her; the memory was of Mystique ordering Rogue to fully absorb Marvel's powers and personality, an action that caused Marvel to pop up on occasion as accusatory hallucinations. Rogue eventually had to ditch Mystique as a result, joining the X-Men and having ComicBook/ProfessorX block her mind of Marvel and the incident to keep the hallucinations at bay, but since he was at this time MIA and unable to keep the block in place, Mystique was trying to convince Rogue that she was the only one in the world who could help her with it.
[[/folder]]

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[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tangle_please_dont.jpg]]]]

* ''Anime/InuYashaTheMovieFireOnTheMysticIsland'': Inuyasha manages to get the better of [[CloningBlues the Kikyo clone]] during their fight, but can't bring himself to finish her off; the real Kikyo proceeds to show up and kill the clone herself before berating Inuyasha for letting himself be tricked by the fake.

** A less funny example happens during Wano when [[spoiler: Kanjuro uses his power to create a replica of Kozuki Oden and convince Kikunojo not to attack him. He's successful and stabs the young samurai. She expresses her regret to Kin'emon for not being able to stop him.]]

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** The hollow Grand Fisher has a lure on his head. By reading his target's psyche, he can transform that lure into the person the target cares about the most. He impersonates Ichigo's dead mother early on in the series.
** [[spoiler:Later on, an Arrancar also impersonates Kaien Shiba, Rukia's mentor, to great effect. This particular one happened to be the 9th Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie.]] In both cases, the impersonator had eaten the impersonate-ee.

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', when the Cat Demon possesses [[spoiler:Genma]], thinking that Ranma wouldn't attack [[spoiler:him]]. Ranma's response: "IT'S EXORCISM TIME!" To explain further, it really didn't help that [[spoiler:Genma forced Ramna to fight [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes a giant cat]] since, no matter how weak a demon it was, Ranma is utterly ''terrified'' of cats. Right before booting his son towards said terror, Genma says that it's a martial artist's job to defeat demons, no matter what. Ranma repeats that right before beating up his old man]].
* ''Manga/DanceInTheVampireBund'': One of the assassins sent after Akira in vol 4 pulled this. [[spoiler:It worked perfectly when he took the form of Graham, a colleague whom Akira killed under as yet unknown circumstances, but then she(?) twisted the knife and tried to extract information by taking the form of Mina. Big. Mistake.]]
* In ''Manga/ProjectARMS'', one of the cyborgs that Hayato fights tries to trick him by impersonating Ryo. In this case, it was done to trick Hayato and not guilt him. After Hayato figures out the truth and impales him, the cyborg takes the form of Hayato's dead mother before dying.
* [[BigBad Dougan]] in the ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}} Requiem'' movie absolutely adores doing this; so much so that it becomes pretty much the premise of the entire movie. For Sanzo he changes into his mentor Koumyou as well as his teammates Sha Gojyo, and Son Goku. For Goku he changes into Genjo Sanzo. For Sha Gojyo he changes into Hakkai and induces stabby death onto him. And for Cho Hakkai he shapeshifts into both his dear [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNlWH1DtjRM sister/lover Kanan]] as well as his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qp5jvDFQuw&feature=related friend Goku]].
** Various enemies try this in the ''Saiyuki'' manga as well. Usually to not much effect since the main characters can be positively gleeful about beating up doppelgangers of one another. On one memorable occasion they start beating up a doppelganger of Gojyo ''before'' realising it's not him (they did have reason to be angry with him at the time, though).
* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
** A variation of this is used by [[DishingOutDirt Monsieur Sol]] against [[BruiserWithASoftCenter Elfman]] in the anime. He uses his earth powers to create clones of Elfman's sister Lisanna, who all begin angrily accusing him of killing her.
** Much later during the Tartarus arc, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are going up against a demon named [[ManipulativeBastard Franmalth]] who can turn into creatures whose souls he's absorbed, be they human or otherwise. He turns into two of Lucy's Spirits to invoke this on Natsu, who can't bring himself to hurt the already [[DontMakeMeTakeMyBeltOff much-abused]] [[ShrinkingViolet Aries]] and gets sucker-punched for refusing to attack her. Luckily, Franmalth next tries to use [[BoisterousBruiser Taurus]], who is much more capable of taking such a hit.
--->'''Natsu:''' Now ''you'' I can hit!
* ''Manga/NabariNoOu'': PlayedForLaughs in an omake where Tobari is unable to attack Fuuma when he takes Raimei and Miharu's forms. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments It fails when Fuuma takes Kouichi's form, though]].
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'':
** [[NoNameGiven The girl in the dress]] can make people feel in their hearts that she is someone else, usually a loved one. Shiage Hamazura is unable to attack her when she makes him feel that she is Rikou Takitsubo, his girlfriend. The girl in the dress notes that some people will attack her ''harder'' if she tries this, because by perceiving her as a loved one, they believe they have been betrayed and become enraged. When faced against Accelerator, she retreats, reasoning that the AxCrazy psycho would react that way.
** This happens twice in the series' New Testament Vol 6:
*** Shizuri Mugino gets confronted by what seems to be Frenda Seivelun, who she had killed back when she was a bad guy and had been feeling guilty about ever since. "Frenda" orders her to atone for her sin by dying, then moves to attack her. At the last second, Mugino snaps out of it and fights back. Her hunch that it wasn't actually Frenda was right, it was a shapeshifting man who wanted to play on Mugino's guilt to weaken and then kill her.
*** Teitoku Kakine makes an army with his Dark Matter that looks, sounds, and acts like the Misaka Sisters and turns them on Accelerator. Accelerator, who had sworn to protect the Misaka Sisters and is eternally guilty about killing some back when he was a bad guy, falls into despair and almost lets them kill him. Mugino steps in and saves him. Drawing on her experience with the fake Frenda, she reminds Accelerator that they're just Kakine's puppets, not the actual Misaka Sisters, which restores his will to fight.
* Variation in ''Manga/GetterRobo Armageddon,'' where an Invader (who can infect humans and [[TheVirus turn them into more Invaders]]) attempt to guilt-trip the Shin Getter team by coating itself in the reformed bodies of [[BodyHorror not-quite-dead]] victims. This successfully prevents the Shin Getter team from attacking it - but its not quite so useful defending against [[AxCrazy Ryoma and the Black Getter]], who simply do not give a fuck.
* In ''Manga/HeavensLostProperty'', Chaos shifts in and out of the forms of Nymph's friends while beating her up and berating her. Nymph objectively knows that the being before her is Chaos and not her friends, but it doesn't matter, she's too traumatized to fight back. When Ikaros tries to attack Chaos, she shifts into Tomoki, and Ikaros is fooled even though she saw her transform before her eyes and obeys Chaos until Astraea intervenes. Later, when Ikaros is about to throw Chaos into the sea, Chaos turns into Tomoki again and begs her to stop, but this time, Ikaros points out that Tomoki is an excellent swimmer and wouldn't be worried about the sea.
* In ''LightNovel/GonnaBeTheTwinTail'', Fox Guildy creates a mindless duplicate of Tail Red and uses it as a shield. The original cannot bear to attack it, but Tail Blue smashes it without hesitation. Fox Guildy is shocked and asks how she could attack her own friend. Annoyed, Tail Blue says she isn't stupid; Tail Red is standing over there and she ''saw'' Fox materialize the duplicate.

* In ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'', as a last ditch effort to save herself, Raynare takes on her human disguise Yuuma Amano. Issei cannot strike her in this form, so he walks away and leaves it to Rias, who kills her without hesitation.
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': Cameo uses his JerkassGenie Stand to manipulate Polnareff into this by reanimating his dead sister and Mohammed Avdol (who died defending him), blaming him for their deaths. [[spoiler:Luckily, the real and alive Avdol appears to save the day, and Polnareff wises up to take down the fake creation of his sister.]]
** ''Manga/SteelBallRun'': This is the basis of Axl Ro's Stand, Civil War. It conjures images of things people "sacrificed" (read: abandoned or destroyed) and feel guilty about, which merges with their body and kills them.
* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', Essentia does this when it looks like she's otherwise beaten; her sudden transformation into X surprises his Kangaskhan long enough for her to land a good hit on it before trying to run off.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic.'' The villain [[OneBadMother Aum Madaura]] can brainwash people into seeing her as their mother; [[AntiHero Hakuryuu]] falls under her spell and fights his friends for her. We get {{Flashback}}s as this is going on about how his evil [[TangledFamilyTree uncle/stepfather]] killed Hakuryuu's father and brothers and corrupted his mother afterward. Unfortunately for Aum Madaura, Hakuryuu's memory eventually reaches the point where he remembers that [[EvilMatriarch it's his mother who was actually]] EvilAllAlong, and he [[OffWithHisHead decapitates her]].
* ''Manga/AkameGaKill'': Zank the Beheader reads Akame's mind and uses an illusion to make himself look like the person she loves the most, her sister Kurome. To his shock, Akame doesn't hesitate to strike him down.
* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'':
** Shirogane pulls a more benign example on Suzu: He shapeshifts into her crush Matsuri’s male form to beg for more food. She fully knows it’s an illusion, but finds it too frustrating to endure.
--->'''Shiromatsu''': Please, Suzu? I need... your dango...\\
'''Suzu (thinking)''': ''([[ArousedByTheirVoice trembling]])'' Don’t whisper in my ear!
** A corrupted {{baku}} attacks Suzu in her dreams with a copy of Matsuri, playing on her fears that Matsuri would see her as a dangerous ayakashi. This backfires horribly because while Suzu doesn't want to ''fight'' a copy of Matsuri, she'd gladly do sexual things to it without the small restraint she shows to the real thing.
* In ''Manga/DragonKnights'', Sinistora takes the form of the dead Crewger, sending Rath spiralling since [[spoiler:Rath is currently possessing Crewger's dead body.]]

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', Loki attempts to pull this on the second Corinthian, cycling through a series of forms (starting with Dream, followed by a dragon, the Corinthian himself[[labelnote:*]]Corinthian's reaction: "Oh, please. Credit me with at least the wit to know which one of us I am."[[/labelnote]], the toddler who the Corinthian is supposed to be rescuing, a flame, and finally his true form) trying to find one the Corinthian ''won't'' strangle. The Corinthian, needless to say, is not impressed.
* When the ComicBook/TeenTitans and the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica collided, the Titan Mirage went up against the ComicBook/MartianManhunter by posing as his dead wife.

* A rare heroic example comes from ''ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm''. When team was fighting Lord Entropy, an impossibly powerful madman who wanted revenge against Lord Emp for killing his wife, Voodo used her illusion to look like her. Entropy was so confused that Emp had enough time to prepare to wipe the floor with him.
* Another heroic example in ''Comicbook/{{Runaways}}'', when Xavin shifts into the late wife of a [[BalefulPolymorph man-turned-monster]] to talk him down from his destructive rampage.
* During ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', several Skrulls shapeshift into corpses and claim to be victims of [[ComicBook/CivilWar the Stamford Incident]]. Although it works on Penance at first, [[{{Wangst}} he remembers the faces of everyone who really perished]] and attacks.
* ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'': {{Subverted|Trope}} (and {{inverted|Trope}}?) in Creator/JossWhedon's run. Kitty is confronted with Piotr (the genuine article); not believing it's really Piotr, BackFromTheDead, she tells him that if he's a robot or a clone, she'll understand, but if he's a shapeshifter or illusionist, he's in for a new meaning of pain.

* Early on in ''ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative'', [[BadPowersGoodPeople Trauma]] had difficulty controlling his fear-based transformation powers, causing him to freak out Cloud 9 by transforming into a zombified version of MVP, who was killed while protecting Cloud 9 from an errant rifle blast. When Hank Pym tried to intervene, Trauma transformed into an extremely battered version of Janet Van Dyne, reminding Hank of his [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten domestic abuse incident]], which sent poor Hank scrambling for his anti-anxiety meds.
* An inadvertent version occurred when the ComicBook/{{Runaways}} visited the ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy''. Reptil tried to entertain the guests by showing off his dinosaur-transformation abilities. He made the mistake of turning into a deinonychus in front of Klara who, up to that point, still believed that she was responsible for Old Lace's apparent death, resulting in Karolina having to rush over and calm the poor girl down before her powers started kicking in.

* During an issue of ''[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Sonic Universe]]'', Amy is facing off against the wizard Naugus when he suddenly takes the form of Sonic, her crush. She immediately mocks him for trying that trick, decides that he's too pathetic for her to bother, and lets Knuckles and Shadow -- [[TheRival neither of whom would be very torn up over having to beat up Sonic]] -- finish him off.

* ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'':

* In the ''[[Film/TheSpiderwickChronicles Spiderwick]]'' books and TheFilmOfTheBook, [[spoiler:[[BigBad Mulgarath]] attempts to do this to the main character by transforming into his dad. Much like in the FMA example, the main character has ParentalIssues and this ends up being a bad choice]].
* In ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', the villain Shang Tsung tries to pull this gambit with Liu Kang by assuming the form of his dead brother Chan, whom Shang Tsung had killed at the start of the movie. It doesn't work.
* The monster in ''Film/{{Phantoms}}'' turns itself into a little boy who looks like the kid Creator/BenAffleck's character accidentally killed in his former life in the FBI.
* The T-1000 from ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' made use of this trope, shapeshifting into Sarah Connor in an attempt to lure and terminate her son John. [[spoiler: The attempt fails when the real Sarah appears behind the T-1000, and John trusts her characteristic approach ("Get out of the way, John") over the duplicate's attitude of slumped defeat. The film's special edition, disappointingly, replaces this subtle indicator with an obvious shapeshifting flaw (warped and misshapen feet).]]

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
** ComicBook/{{Mystique}} tries this on her captors in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''. She transforms into the President and threatens to have them all court martialed if they do not release her, and then a little girl who begs and cries to be let out. She finally turns mockingly back into herself when one of the guards threatens to empty a can of pepper spray in her face if she doesn't knock it off.
** In the second movie, ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', while in an EnemyMine situation with the X-Men, she tries to seduce Logan as ComicBook/{{Jean|Grey}}, ComicBook/{{Rogue}}, and ComicBook/{{Storm}}. [[spoiler:He gets wise when he sees [[ScarsAreForever the scars he left on her belly]] from [[Film/XMen1 the first movie]].]]

* In ''Film/WrathOfTheTitans'', Perseus fights and defeats a minotaur. As he's about to finish it off, the minotaur suddenly starts talking in his son's voice, begging his "father" not to hurt him. Perseus kills it anyway.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** You can briefly pull this off in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' thanks to LatexPerfection. Put on the Raikov mask and uniform when fighting his gay lover to distract him for a moment. "Ivan is that you?"
** Used a few times in a section of the first boss battle in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', with Laughing Octopus, who uses her [=OctoCamo=] and [=FaceCamo=] to disguise herself as Naomi, then as Metal Gear Mk. II, with Otacon's voice. When you approach it, it attacks you, with Otacon's voice (although obviously not him speaking) making fun of you. Of course, you can spot the flaws easily (she never changes out of her suit when in the face cameo and MK II is much bigger then its normal size. Plus Otacan doesn't flag you down with it in regular play.)

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** You can attempt this twice in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', once against Igos Du Ikana with his knight captain's mask ([[spoiler:which fails completely]]), and once against the Gorman brothers with their brother's mask ([[spoiler:which upsets them so much they can't fight]]).
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', Midna briefly transforms into the likenesses of the recently kidnapped Colin and Ilia in order to remind Link that he has a personal motivation to fight back against Zant and the Twilight. Oddly, this is the ''only'' time she displays shapeshifting powers.
* The ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series features doppelgangers and other shapeshifters who like to impersonate other characters, but all of them shift into their normal forms when attacking, thus disqualifying some interesting scenes from quite exemplifying this trope.
** The closest to actually qualifying are the doppelgangers that attack you in the Candlekeep catacombs that appear in the form of familiar Candlekeep inhabitants and give lame, one-sentence excuses for attacking you. \\
The greater doppelgangers near the exit try to convince you that it's all been an illusion placed on you by [[BigBad Sarevok]] and you've actually been killing the people that the doppelgangers looked like, trying to make you feel guilty, but they stop pretending immediately if you choose to fight them.
*** ''VideoGame/ThroneOfBhaal'' also has a similar scene where some wraiths have a go at [[BreakThemByTalking breaking you by talking]] in the form of lost loved ones, but they too do it only ''before'' the battle is joined, not during it.
** In the backstory, the dwarf Durlag built his [[BonusDungeon fortress]] as a safe haven for all of his kin, but unfortunately, it got infested by doppelgangers. He had to fight his way out of the fortress through monsters bearing the faces of his family and companions, which caused him to go insane. He now saw enemies everywhere and [[BoobyTrap booby-trapped]] the whole place with more traps than you'll see again in the whole series.
* Not quite an exact use, but referenced in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', when [[spoiler: the Shadow Queen takes over Peach's body]], Goombella tells you that no matter how much it looks like your friend, you can't think of it that way and just have to fight it.

** In the beginning of the sequel, Darth Vader orders Starkiller to destroy a droid that looks like Juno Eclipse, but he can't. The game's novelization includes a scene where Starkiller is confronted by a Juno droid again, as well as droids of his friends and father, but this time he declares that dreams and memories have no power over him anymore and destroys them all. [[spoiler: [[EvilKnockoff The Dark Apprentice]] destroyed his Juno droid and declared that he felt ''nothing.'']]
* Completely averted in ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}''. If Alex is discovered by the military, while shape shifted, the military will not hesitate to fire on him -- even if you're in the guise of a respected commander, unarmed woman, or someone they wouldn't dare think about hurting otherwise. {{Hilari|tyEnsues}}ously, if you use the Patsy ability to accuse someone of being Alex, the poor sod gets gunned down with an equal lack of restraint.
* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' [[spoiler:Gandrayda]] pulls one of these once you [[ShapeshifterSwanSong defeat]] [[spoiler:her]]. First, [[spoiler:she changes into Ghor, then into Rundas, then into Samus [[RuleOfSymbolism which leads to the image of a Samus nearly corrupted by the Phazon standing over a normal Samus laying on the ground dying]]. The whole thing takes less than a minute, and the only sound that comes out of her mouth is a scream, but the message to Samus is clear: "You couldn't save them from TheCorruption, you couldn't save me from it, and you're not going to be able to save yourself. YourDaysAreNumbered, Samus."]]
* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'': Lucifer takes the shape of Dante, along with his form massacring innocent people in his grand illusions, to break the will of Dante's wife's soul, Beatrice.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'', the final totema attempts this in a cut scene. It changes from Ritz, to Doned, to Mewt (all characters with a close relation to the main character), and then finally to the main character himself, each one trying a different tactic to try to get him to [[spoiler: stay in the world and not destroy the final crystal]]. None of it works, though it does succeed in briefly mind fucking the main character.
* Similar to the above, in ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'', when you enter the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, the first battle has [[BigBad Shaher]] attempt this on Alphonse and Eleanor, and who he takes the illusion of depends on the route you take. If you take Path A, he becomes [[spoiler: Rictor, Alphonse's commander who was possessed by Shaher and subsequently killed by Alphonse.]] If you take Path B, [[spoiler: he takes the form of Cybil, who felt she could no longer trust Alphonse and was later possessed by Shaher in a similar manner of Rictor in Path A]]. However, Alphonse doesn't buy it one bit, and simply lashes out at them and causes the illusion to break. Then again though, [[GenreBlindness Shaher did actually say he would take their form to their face]], but to be fair, even before he said this, Alphonse wasn't buying it.
* In ''VideoGame/FableIII'', after having to leave behind your mentor Walter in the deserts of Aurora, the demonic Crawler taunts you with illusions of Walter begging for help and being brutally killed by the Crawler's shadow monster minions.
* In the FullMotionVideo game ''VideoGame/DraculaUnleashed'', Alexander, Helsing and Harker confront a friend turned vampire Juliet. They chase her back to her crypt where in a last ditch effort to save herself, changes into Harker and Alexander's wife and fiancee respectively. Harker sees through the guise but Alexander, apparently forgetting that that they're dealing with a supernatural force, nearly falls for it before Helsing stops him.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': [[spoiler:Queen Ferz, the shapeshifting High Priestress of the evil Order of [=ZugZwang=]]], poses as [[spoiler:the hero's missing mother]] to talk him into joining the Order.
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'', AntiHero Kerrigan faces-off against the ShapeShifting [[spoiler:Narud/Duran]]. The first tactic [[spoiler:he]] uses is to shapeshift into Jim Raynor, which causes Kerrigan to hesitate for a quick moment, before having her BerserkButton pushed and beats up [[spoiler:Narud]] mercilessly. Near the end of the fight, [[spoiler:Narud]] shapeshifts into Kerrigan before she was infested, which causes her to [[HeroicBSOD hesitate]] long enough for [[spoiler:him]] to stab her.
* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarAscension'', Kratos starts strangling Tisiphone and then she transforms into Lysandra, his wife. He hesitates for a moment, then continues.
* In ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', [[spoiler:a heavy trooper with an automatic shotgun "transforms" into Lugo, who was killed about an hour prior. Keep in mind nobody in this game has supernatural powers; the whole scene is Captain Walker's hallucination. He's guilt-tripping ''himself'']].

* Played with in the first episode of ''Gary and his demons'': in the DramaticChaseOpening Gary maims an orphan he thinks is a shapeshifting demon in disguise, though in Gary's defense, he makes a very good argument why and manages to counter all the arguments the orphan makes about not being a demon. Later, the same demon plays it straight by disguising itself as the now crippled orphan.

* During "Endgame" of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', Shockwave tries this on Bulkhead and Bumblebee, asking if they're really willing to take out their old friend Longarm by changing to his form. (In this case, he's only sort of playing head games, as Longarm and Shockwave were always the same person. [[spoiler: The Autobots feign sympathy for a minute before smacking him up.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'', the main trio fights a chameleon monster that tries to do this, notably impersonating Octus' girlfriend Kimmy. Octus is fortunately, reminded that it's not really her (especially as the mutraddi's eyes are pretty much its own).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'', the Demon Shredder fulfills this when he uses his human face, the same as Karai's adoptive father's one, to take her off-guard at the very moment when she seemed to have an advantage, though he later states that he was [[JustToyingWithThem just playing with her]] the whole time.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has a variant in the episode "Into the Bunker"--after being shoved in a CryoPrison, the {{Shapeshifting}} monster tells [[SeekerArchetype Dipper]] that he will never find the Author, and that if he keeps trying, "''this'' will be the last form you'll ever take." It then transforms into a copy of Dipper, screaming in horror, as the freezing takes effect.
-->'''[[BigFun Soos]]:''' [[MoodWhiplash Good luck sleeping tonight]]!
* Non-combat example from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. Amethyst and Greg get sucked into rewatching their old favorite TV sitcom for almost two straight days, and eventually Greg realizes that he's missed watching the New Year's fireworks with his son Steven. Amethyst urges him to stay, even shape-shifting into Steven in order to convince him. Greg doesn't take kindly to it, and Amethyst responds by mockingly shape-shifting into him; when ''that'' fails, she angrily shape-shifts into Greg's ''dead lover'' Rose Quartz while blaming him for taking Rose away from her, even as Greg hides in a corner and begs her to stop.
* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex''. While Rex fights Jack Scarecrow, the latter uses his {{shapeshifting}} abilities to turn into various friends/comrades of Rex. Rex is more than willing to punch (and possibly kill) him while taking the forms of people he loves, but fighting in blind rage quickly [[PsychoactivePowers drains his powers]].
* Used to great effect in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'''s season 4 finale. Double Trouble gives Catra a speech about how she [[RejectionProjection constantly pushes people away and blames them for it]], while shifting between the forms of Adora, Shadow Weaver, Hordak, and Scorpia (all people who had messy relationships with Catra).
* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': In "L.O.D.R.S.V.P.", Clayface tries to make Aquaman stand down by turning into Superman. With his poor acting skills (he claims to be from "Kryptalon", among his general character inaccuracies) and the fact he transformed right in front of him, Aquaman is not fooled for a second and chops his head off (luckily Clayface can survive that).
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In [[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E6TheRicksMustBeCrazy "The Ricks Must Be Crazy"]], the A.I. in Rick's car creates an illusion of the SWAT officer's dead son to give him a HeroicBSOD and lose the will to attack.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretShow'': In [[Recap/TheSecretShowS1E23FlickTheSwitch "Flick the Switch"]], the Impostors' leader Red Eye assumes the form of Victor's mother in order to lure him back into their lair and trap him and Anita.

** In the backstory, the dwarf Durlag built his [[BonusDungeon fortress]] as a safe haven for all of his kin, but unfortunately, it got infested by doppelgangers. He had to fight his way out of the fortress through monsters bearing the faces of his family and companions, which caused him to go insane. He now saw enemies everywhere and [[BoobyTrap booby-trapped]] the whole place [[UpToEleven with more traps than you'll see again in the whole series]].

* Shirogane of ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'' pulls a more benign example on Suzu: He shapeshifts into her crush Matsuri’s male form to beg for more food. She fully knows it’s an illusion, but finds it too frustrating to endure.
-->'''Shiromatsu''': Please, Suzu? I need... your dango...\\

Usually, the hero ends up struggling to find the willpower to continue beating up someone who looks just like their loved ones. Bonus points if the form the shape shifter takes on is that of a dead friend or family member for extra guilt; especially if it is one whose death the hero blame themselves for. There are also bonus points if the shapeshifter was the one who killed the dead friend or family member and is [[WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied enhancing the emotional kick of their evil gloating.]] Some examples may finish off the illusion by talking to the hero "in character".

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': [[spoiler:Queen Ferz, the shapeshifting High Priestress of the evil Order of ZugZwang]], poses as [[spoiler:the hero's missing mother]] to talk him into joining the Order.

->'''Fuuma:''' ''[in Miharu's form]'' Even though you know I'm an imposter, you still can't hurt me, can you?!\\
'''Fuuma:''' ''[in Raimei's form]'' It's naive for you to be fooled by an illusion!\\
'''Fuuma:''' ''[in Aizawa's form]'' Come on! Try to punch me!\\

* Parodied in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', when the Cat Demon possessed [[spoiler: Genma]], thinking that Ranma wouldn't attack [[spoiler: him]]. Ranma's response: "IT'S EXORCISM TIME!" To explain further, it really didn't help that [[spoiler:Genma forced Ramna to fight [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes a giant cat]] since, no matter how weak a demon it was, Ranma is utterly ''terrified'' of cats. Right before booting his son towards said terror, Genma says that it's a martial artist's job to defeat demons, no matter what. Ranma repeats that right before beating up his old man]].

* In Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', Loki attempts to pull this on the second Corinthian, cycling through a series of forms (starting with Dream, followed by a dragon, the Corinthian himself[[labelnote:*]]Corinthian's reaction: "Oh, please. Credit me with at least the wit to know which one of us I am."[[/labelnote]], the toddler who the Corinthian is supposed to be rescuing, a flame, and finally his true form) trying to find one the Corinthian ''won't'' strangle. The Corinthian, needless to say, is not impressed.
* When the [[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans]] and the Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}} collided, the Titan Mirage went up against the ComicBook/MartianManhunter by posing as his dead wife.

* ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'': Subverted (and inverted?) in Creator/JossWhedon's run. ComicBook/KittyPryde is confronted with ComicBook/{{Colossus}} (the genuine article); not believing it's really Colossus, back from the dead, she tells him that if he's a robot or a clone, she'll understand, but if he's a shapeshifter or illusionist, he's in for a new meaning of pain.
* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': Red Lantern Rankorr used his power ring to make constructs resembling Abysmus' victims, paralyzing him with guilt and allowing Atrocitus to defeat him.

* ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} faced a psychic, sentient dinosaur called the Empathosaur in her [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 00's series]]. It probes her mind and makes his head look like her father. Supergirl is completely unimpressed, commenting that a man's head sticking out of a dinosaur's body isn't going to fool anybody.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E6TheRicksMustBeCrazy The Ricks Must Be Crazy]]", the A.I. in Rick's car creates an illusion of the SWAT officer's dead son to give him a HeroicBSOD and lose the will to attack.

* In the Thor fanfic [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016552/chapters/57779809 The Beginning of Infinity]], Thor thinks Hela (of whose identity he is unaware of at the time) is using this to manipulate him. She looks very like Loki, who has been killed moments ago trying to undo Odin's curse on Thor and promises to save Loki if Thor agrees to a DealWithTheDevil with her. Subverted in that while she is manipulating him, the form is just her own - Odin had his adopted son's form resemble his lost daughter's for sentimental reasons.

* In ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' Lyumnades Kaza did this thrice on-screen (plus a couple off-screen times). First in a battle against Cygnus Hyoga, taking the form of Aquarius. Then against Pegasus. Then in battle against Shun by transforming into his brother; it didn't work at first. He did it again when Shun was getting the upper hand, and it made Shun doubt enough for Kaza to beat him. Finally he did it against Shun's brother Ikki by transforming into Shun. But as Ikki was a AntiHero, it didn't work.

* In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Dartz projects the images (and voices) of Yugi's soul-stolen friends onto his Mirror Knight monsters to intimidate Yugi out of attacking them. Seto Kaiba doesn't care and attacks them without hesitation. In the original version, Seto says it's a willing sacrifice to save the world. In the dub, Seto thinks Dartz just reprogrammed the holograms to show their friends to throw them off their game. Regardless of the version, destroying the Mirror Knights merely frees their friends' souls instead of destroying them.
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', Trueman throws Austin O'Brien off his game during their duel by shapeshifting into Austin's father and using a replica of his father's deck (but with some of Trueman's own cards in it). Trueman also plays on Austin's guilt by bringing up an incident where his parents were trapped in a burning car and he chose to save his father first (even though his father was able to save his mother, Austin was filled with self-loathing that he didn't choose to save her). Austin still puts up a valiant fight, but he eventually panics and makes a mistake that causes him to lose.

** Cameo uses his JerkassGenie Stand to manipulate Polnareff into this by reanimating his dead sister and Mohammed Avdol (who dies defending him), blaming him for their deaths. [[spoiler: Luckily, the real and alive Avdol appears to save the day, and Polnareff wises up to take down the fake image of his sister.]]
** In Part 7, this is the basis of the Stand named Civil War. It conjures images of things you've "sacrificed" (read: abandoned or destroyed) and feel guilty about, which merge with your body and kill you.

* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'': Red Lantern Rankorr used his power ring to make constructs resembling Abysmus' victims, paralyzing him with guilt and allowing Atrocitus to defeat him.

* In ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'', the party encounters an undead monstrosity that uses magic to make whoever is looking at it see a dead mentor or parental figure they would trust implicitly (Nodwick sees his former guildmaster, Arthax sees the man who trained him to be a wizard, Piffany sees the head priest who raised her, and Rowan sees her adventurer father). All of them can only stare dead-eyed at it and mumble "I thought you were dead". Fortunately, while the magic also affected [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Orville]], his species of dragon instinctively try to [[SelfMadeOrphan fight and kill their own parents for dominance]]...

** A spell in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' gives [[spoiler: Ron Weasley]] a double-dosage of this trope - the ''two'' people closest and dearest to the victim manifest and give a [[BreakThemByTalking Breaking Speech]] in the form of a counterpoint argument.
** A Boggart does this to Mrs. Weasley in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', tormenting her by transforming into an image of her children, dead. The "Guilt" part is amplified when the reader knows that Mrs. Weasley's two brothers, Fabian and Gideon, died in the previous war against Voldemort, so Molly has all the more reason to dread losing her family.

* In the FinalBoss fight of ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil,'' the BigBad's shapeshifting {{Mooks}} mimic the forms of Jade's {{sidekick}}s. They accuse her in a CreepyMonotone of causing their suffering, and beg her to join the villain to take the pain away. Considering their [[LargeHam natural tendencies,]] this is especially unnerving.
** Worse, they do this right after the BigBad apparently absorbs them both, leaving you to wonder just how fake it is.
* Used a few times in a section of the first boss battle in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', with Laughing Octopus, who uses her [=OctoCamo=] and [=FaceCamo=] to disguise herself as Naomi, then as Metal Gear Mk. II, with Otacon's voice. When you approach it, it attacks you, with Otacon's voice (although obviously not him speaking) making fun of you. Of course, you can spot the flaws easily (she never changes out of her suit when in the face cameo and MK II is much bigger then its normal size. Plus Otacan doesn't flag you down with it in regular play.)

** You can attempt this twice in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', once against Igos Du Ikana with his knight captain's mask ([[spoiler:which fails completely]]), and once against the Gorman brothers with their brother's mask ([[spoiler:which upsets them so much they can't fight]]).
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', Midna briefly transforms into the likenesses of the recently kidnapped Colin and Ilia in order to remind Link that he has a personal motivation to fight back against Zant and the Twilight. Oddly, this is the ''only'' time she displays shapeshifting powers.

*** ''Throne of Bhaal'' also has a similar scene where some wraiths have a go at [[BreakThemByTalking breaking you by talking]] in the form of lost loved ones, but they too do it only ''before'' the battle is joined, not during it.

* Not quite an exact use, but referenced: In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', when [[spoiler: the Shadow Queen takes over Peach's body]], Goombella tells you that no matter how much it looks like your friend, you can't think of it that way and just have to fight it.
* The Holoprojection droid PROXY in ''Franchise/StarWars VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'' uses it to his advantage several times. Going against Vader as Obi-Wan Kenobi or against Boba Fett as his father Jango does not guarantee him victory, but ''does'' confuse his opponent for a few precious seconds.

* Used by [[FanNickname Brainithor]]'s drones in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited''. First he turns them into the Justice Lords, an alternate version of the League who [[KnightTemplar turned evil]] after their Franchise/{{Superman}} killed ComicBook/LexLuthor. It has different reactions on each member.

* In a non-villainous example, Bartimaeus of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' regularly appears in the form of Kitty Jones in the beginning of ''Ptolemy's Gate'', purely because he knows how much guilt his master still feels over Kitty's [[spoiler:apparent]] death in the previous book. He sometimes exaggerates the curves, though.

* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex''. While Rex fights Jack Scarecrow, the latter uses his {{shapeshifting}} abilities to turn into various friends/comrades of Rex. Rex is more than willing to punch (and possibly kill) him while taking the forms of people he loves, but he still falls for it as the UnstoppableRage quickly [[PsychoactivePowers drains his powers]].
* Used to great effect in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'''s season 4 finale. Double Trouble gives Catra a speech about how she pushes people away and blames them for it, while shifting between the forms of Adora, Shadow Weaver, Hordak, and Scorpia (all people who had messy relationships with Catra).